April 18, 2008

Hello everyone, my name is Wenona Napolitano. I’m guest blogging for Colleen while she’s out of town. I am a fellow Michigan writer and a big fan of her Gardella Vampire Chronicles. I can’t wait to read the next book and see how Victoria deals with what has happened to her!

Well, spring is finally here in Michigan (hopefully here to stay). Flowers, weddings, everything is so fresh and new. I just love spring. I am so thinking green right now. I am ready to be out of the house and enjoying nature. My flowers are popping up and I’m getting my seedlings ready to plant.

Along with my thoughts about my garden and nature I’m thinking about a different kind of green: green living.

I do what I can to save the earth. I recycle, I buy a lot of natural and organic stuff, and I work from home which requires little to no driving. I am such a treehugger at heart.

With Earth Day right around the corner many of us are thinking green, even the ones who normally don’t. I’m not sure how I’m going to celebrate it. If it’s nice out I’ll probably be digging in my garden and planting seeds and bulbs. Maybe I’ll do something really special, I’m not sure. Any of you doing anything special for Earth Day?

I know some people really go all out for it. I’m more of a quiet revenant type. Simplicity is best for me.

Anyone out there getting married on Earth Day? That would be so cool. What a great way to celebrate your love for each other and for the earth!

I hope if you are having a wedding on Earth Day you are incorporating some green elements into your special day.

If you aren’t getting married on Earth Day but would like to learn more about green weddings you can visit my blog: www.everythinggreenweddings.blogspot.com. I’m still putting it together–I have so many links and so much info to add to it but I do have some really great stuff on there already about green weddings and green living. But now that I’ve finished writing my book, The Everything Green Wedding Book (coming in December), I’ll be adding lots more links and stuff to the blog.

Since the book isn’t here yet, I can give everyone a sneak peak on some of the info in the book.

Here are a few eco-friendly tips on how to have a fabulously green wedding. They're not the same ones you’ll find everywhere like: invitations made from recycled or tree free paper, used wedding gowns, don’t buy dirty gold, have a gown made from bamboo, hemp, or peace silk fabrics, or the other usual green ideas.

In The Everything Green Wedding Book I include these regular ideas, expand on them, and add a lot of creative ways to plan a green wedding. There’s also a very detailed Web resource section for all your wedding planning needs.

Here's a sneak peek of some of my favorite suggestions: 

1) The best way to have a great green wedding is to keep it small and simple. Fewer resources are used and there is less waste left behind. 

2) Go organic! When you hear organic you instantly think of food, but not only can your menu be organic but so can your drinks (yes, the alcohol, too), your invitations, even the wedding gown and tuxes can be organic (made from organic cotton).

Organic products are popping up everywhere these days, from natural food stores to your local grocery store and even big chain stores like Wal-Mart. The great thing about organic products showing up in local stores is that you don’t have to search as hard for them and they are becoming cheaper so you don’t go broke while trying to save the planet and your health. 

3) Think creatively. You would be surprised at how many everyday items can be transformed into wedding stuff. Think outside the frilly white and ivory box, get colorful and have fun. You can use all kinds of stuff to decorate your wedding without buying or renting all new stuff.

Say you have a lot of garden stuff, trellis, arbor, small picket fences, a cute bench, whatever. If you are having a pretty garden wedding incorporate the stuff you already have, add some potted flowers, and voila! instant wedding décor.

If you are having a theme wedding, chances are your theme is something you and your fiancé are into like classic movies, literary heroes, 50’s rock and roll, etc you probably have all kinds of collectibles and décor that fit into your theme. Use it at your wedding to decorate. 

4) DIY (do it yourself) it! You can make a lot of things for your wedding with sustainable materials; a ring bearer pillow made from vintage fabric, handmade paper for your invitations, pretty favors, place cards, centerpieces and so much more.

And not only do you get the satisfaction of saying, “I made that” but you can also save a bundle. And to get really earth friendly you can give small trees, potted flowers, herbs or other plants as favors (that do double duty as decorations, an ultra green solution). 

5)  It’s all about the R’s. You know the main 3: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle but there’s also Re purpose, Re-do, Re-make and Reclaim.

You can re purpose items by taking something that was made to be one thing (say a bottle) and turn it into something else (a lamp), that’s re purposing. Re-do and re-make are easy. You can easily transform old things with a fresh coat of paint, a new finish or updated accessories. You can also reclaim things (like wood) and turn it into something new.

Think of all the R’s while planning your green wedding and you'll have lots of ways to stay green while you're wearing something blue!

I hope you enjoyed these tips! For more green wedding and green living info visit my blog www.everythinggreenweddings.blogspot.com and be on the lookout for my book, The Everything Green Wedding Book: Plan an Elegant, Affordable, Earth friendly Wedding scheduled to be in stores December 17.

February 1, 2008

MaryKate sent this to me, knowing how much I love Matt Damon. 

If you don't know, Jimmy Kimmel always says he's going to have Matt on his show, but at the end, it's "So sorry, Matt Damon, but we're out of time." He's been doing that all year.

So, his girlfriend Sarah Silverman did this video for him.

**definitely not work- or kid-safe**

Sarah Silverman singing with Matt Damon!! - The best bloopers are a click away

December 21, 2007

Like everyone else who's celebrating Christmas–right?

Winners for the Pay it Forward Contest will be posted soon–I have to corral the Music Man ('cause he does all my winner-drawing stuff), and we've pretty much been two ships passing in the bedroom for the last couple days. Music Men are extremely busy this time of year, especially when they work with churches.

Hope everyone else is doing well.

I haven't sent Christmas cards this year. I still plan on it…but they might be more like New Year cards.

You? 

November 10, 2007

(Quick! What's the '80s song/comedian reference??)

Okay, the fam and I are off to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for my grandmother's funeral. For those non-Michiganders out there, here's a bit of orientation about the culture of northern Michigan:

When you're in Michigan, you use your right hand as a map, and then your left hand as the Upper Peninsula–or, U.P. ("Yoo-Pee"). Or, if you're really feelin' it: Da Yoop.

As you probably know, the Mackinac Bridge connects the Lower Peninsula (the "mitten") of Michigan–where I live–to the U.P. The Yoopers call us Lower Peninsula people "trolls"–'cause we live under the bridge.

Heh.

Da Yoop is known for pasties, copper, deer hunting, and a bar on every street corner–and then some. When you're in Da Yoop, you add "eh!" to the end of every sentence, such as "Let's go to the bar, eh!" or "Get yer hands off my deer rifle, eh!" or "Got enough snow on your truck, eh?"

My grandparents moved to the UP the year I was born, so we always had a long-distance (9-10 hours worth) relationship. Every summer we made the trip up, and maybe once or twice for Thanksgiving or Christmas. (Driving in the UP in the winter is Not Fun.)

Well, that's it. Wish us a safe, quick journey. The blog might be a little quiet unless Jackie Kessler, who has a NEW BOOK out, sends me a guest blog post. Even if she doesn't, you really need to check out her Jezebel books….Romantic Times gave The Road to Hell 4.5 stars and a Top Pick–which is better than a gold star.

Plus, if you buy Jackie's book by today (oops, sorry for the short notice), you have a chance to win a pretty red iPod nano. I don't know about you, but I think it's wayyy sweeter than a black one. 

Since I think I'm the only person in the world without an iPod.

But that, my friends, is a blog post for another day. 

November 1, 2007

The contest is over, and I've used Random.org to generate the winning entry in my Immortalize Your Friend in a Book Contest.

And…dadadadummmmm….the winner is:

Debbie Guyette,

nominated by her friend Melissa Lawson.

So both Debbie and Melissa will make an appearance in When Twilight Burns!

I'll be in touch with them shortly, but you can send your congratulations now! Yay! I'm so excited!